Combination object moving devices and canes or walking sticks



M h 1 1968 H. TAGG 3,374,022

COMBINATION OBJECT MOVING DEVICES AND CANES OR WALKING STICKS Filed Feb. 8, 1966 I N VENTOR. HOWARD L TA 66 United States Patent 3,374,022 COMBINATION OBJECT MOVING DEVICES AND CANES OR WALKING STICKS Howard L. Tagg, 17 Hawk Lane, Levittown, N.Y. 11756 Filed Feb. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 525,983 5 Claims. (Cl. 294-2) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The combination object moving device and cane or walking stick is a cane with a lever under the handle moving a spring-returned push rod downward on far side from handle, the bottom end of push rod fitted with a flat footed but undercutted edge and underside part at 90 degrees to axis of push rod, its feet mating in parallel plane with an object receiving plate at bottom of rod. The object receiving plate is pivoted to swing up at an angle position for storage against the object holding piece to provide clearance from ground for use of the device as cane or walking stick. The object receiving plate is moved down from storage position by pushing the push rod, and is held in position by springs. The plate is returned by pushing against the ground or a walk. Special pick-up means can be fastened to an auxiliary rod attachable to the object receiving plate.

My invention relates to object moving devices and canes or walking sticks. They are combined to form a new combination of use in a new method of moving, picking up and setting down, of various objects, as well as provision for conventional use as a cane or walking stick. An object of my invention is to produce a means of greater scope, convenience, efiiciency and labor saving, by its construction, operation and use. It will be saving of the users energy. To move or pick up objects,it will reduce many ungainly or uncomfortable actions of persons who may already be using canes, walking sticks and perhaps certain crutches. And, it is also for others with temporary or permanent distress or limited movement because of incapacitation of feet, ankles, legs, knees, hip joints and backs. The device is also intended for completely healthy persons who would avail themselves of its object moving conveniences and benefits, and also for special instances in industry or other places where it may be readily adapted to a specific use.

I attain my objectives in the manner to be hereinafter specifically described. Broadly stated, the device includes a main rod or tube with a nonslip handle on its upper end anda nonslip shock absorbing cushion on the lower end. A lever is attached by a bracket just under the handle, and one, can actuate the lever with his fingers while his hand rests over the handle. The lever (against a return spring pressure) moves an attached push rod (the push rod passing through a retaining bracket near the main rods lower end) downwards parallel to the main rod, said push rod being bent in such a way as to terminate out, over and above a separately attached object receiving member in the nature of a surface, or plate, at the base of the main rod. The end of the push rod is equipped with a shaped, rotatable, friction-positioned holding piece, its under contour performing a wedging and containing action on many objects to help bring them toward and hold them against the object receiving member. The object receiving member is attached to the main rod by a leaf type spring loaded hinged bracket apparatus, which object receiving member can be held in a down position at right angles to the main rod, or swung on its pivot in an approximately 45 degrees up position against the holding piece. The object receiving member is actuated down (to ice its useful position) by pressing the lever and forcing the apparatus to move it to the down position. The object receiving member is actuated up to its non-use (out-of-theway) position by simply pressing the devices object receiving member against the floor, walk, or dirt, until the pressure forces it to swing up and hold. in its up or nonuse position.

When used simply to pick up, or move objects (dropped newspapers, clothing, bits of odds and ends around the home, or in ones back yard), the main rod and handle form the required means of attaching the other parts to perform this service. If, on the other hand, it is to also aid an ailing person, the main rod and handle act as a cane or walking stick when the object receiving member is up, out-of-the-way. And, for such a person to use it as an object moving device, as is generally the case, the person would come to a halt, shift his weight lightly on his good foot side, actuate the object receiving member into useful position, slip it under the object desired, move the lever with his fingers to clench the object between the object receiving member and the holding piece above it, and bring the object up to where he can grasp it with his other hand, and move or dispose of it as necessary.

The object receiving member is further equipped with a leaf spring racket and a pin positioner, to which a great number of attachments (generally .kept in a persons pocket) are devised, to aid in picking up specific objects, each of which lends itself most easily to this method of being gripped, hooked, magnetically attracted, etc., rather than the more basic part (object receiving member) of the device, which primarily takes advantage of friction, gravity and inertia properties of matter to allow getting objects up on it, with or without the combined use of the push rod and holding piece apparatus, for lifting, moving, etc. These attachments may be permanently or temporarily attached as the case requires. They include, but by no means are limited to: magnets to pick up magnetically attracted objects; hooks to hook, lift, move and pull with; springs set so they can grip a pencil or other similar object lying on the floor or ground and be retrieved to the user who dropped it; spikes for spearing scrap materials; suction cups; and the like.

Once the knack of using the complete device is obtained, it is very easy and useful and energy saving, for example, for one to pick up dropped newspapers, magazines, pieces of clothing, balls, pencils, spools of thread, etc.; and also, for example, for persons finding it hard to stoop or bend, to take care of their pets feedings, to lower and pick up dishes and containers for food and liquid.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. The apparatus will now be described in detail, since it is believed that the novel aspects of my device may best be brought out and exemplified by a description and a discussion of the apparatus, in which FIG. 1 is a right side elevation of the device, with dashed lines showing the object receiving member in its up or non-use position. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the device which is basically simply in this, its most elementary form. The larger scale FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, detail some of the necessary attachments to make the device as convenient, versatile, practical and useful as it must be to meet its many problems.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly FIG. 2, exploded view, the combination object moving device and cane or walking stick comprises a main body structure 1 in the nature of a main rod, bar or tube, the upper portion fashioned or furnished with a handle 2, and handle grip 3, and the lower end with a rubber tip 4. Securely attached under the handle, by means dictated by the materials used, is a bracket 5 to which a lever 7 is joined by pivot pin 6 with necessary securing means (not shown),

such as cotter pins, washers, nuts on threaded ends, etc., and the same type of construction for the remainder of the device, standard well established methods and means to be used. Said lever 7 is also attached by the same type pivot pin 6 and securing means to push rod 8, the push rod extending downward through a lower bracket on main rod 1, and being retained in its upper position at rest by a spring 9 attached between main rod 1 and push rod 8. At the lower end of push rod 8, which is bent outward and downward for clearance from main rod 1, is fastened adaptor piece 11, which is securely fastened to push rod 8 by ordinary means, and so fashioned as to retain holding piece 12 by friction between their surfaces and yet allow holding piece 12 to be rotated for best positioning to get at the object to be moved.

Holding piece 12 in this embodiment is generally shaped as the top half of a sphere with a snugly fashioned hole in its north pole area for friction fit with adapter 11, and a tri-part cut out area under its equator section up into the herni-sphere, so cut and curved and positioned over the object receiving member as to slightly overhang its edge when brought all the way down against it with the object receiving member in its down or useful position. The under part of holding piece 12 tends to surround and draw in items (such as balls, for instance) which it is placed over toward the edge of the object receiving member, and in many cases this will be suflicient to retain them and bring them up towards ones other hand for disposal, all the time keeping some pressure on the handle lever 7 to contain the item between holding piece 12 and object receiving member 15 until disposed of.

Movement of lever 7 actuates push rod 8 and brings push rod and holding piece 12 down in contact with object receiving member 15 to hold objects against it for desired moving and disposal action by the user. If object receiving member 15 is in its up or non-use position when this happens, the movement of lever 7 and push rod 8 through holding piece 12 forces object receiving member 15 down to useful position; the lever is released momentarily, spring 9 returning push rod 8 and holding piece 12 up for clearance, the user then manipulates or jockeys the item desired up on the object receiving member, actuates the lever 7 again and securely holds the item to be moved or disposed of between the holding piece 1.2 and object receiving member 15. Receiving member 15 is fitted with bevelled edges (as shown with the bottom surface completely flat, and the front and side edges bevelled at shallow angle to a thin edge around the object receiving member, to aid in manipulating objects up onto it for further action). Object receiving member 15 is further fitted with brackets 16 and is hinged or pivoted through the brackets by a pivot pin 18 and necessary securing hardware means to main rod 1. A stop bar 17 attached across the two brackets serves to keep object receiving member 15 in the correct useful position and carry the loads imposed on 15 by objects, by bearing 17 against main rod 1. Also attached to 15 are pin 23 and leaf spring bracket 24 for receiving and holding in position various attachments such as pencil attachment 19, hook attachment 20, and magnetic attachment 21. Object receiving member 15 is further stably positioned in either its down or up positions by leaf springs 14 bearing against the formed tops of brackets 16 at each position, said springs 14 secured to main rod 1 by pin 13 with securing hardware. Attachments are installed to the object receiving member 15 by a short rod 22 with a hole on one end fitting over pin 23 and retained under leaf spring bracket 24, by placing attachment over 23 and swinging under 24. Also, these special attachments may be installed by ordinary means to the lower end portion of the main body structure (not shown).

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have provided an extremely simple, worthwhile and efficient means and method to meet the many needs of persons to move objects to more useful positions for their use, and at the same time have the benefits of a cane or walking stick. It will be further observed that I have provided novel and reliable apparatus for carrying out certain of the steps of the novel method. It can be made in entirely completely new units, or can be fitted to existing canes, walking sticks, certain crutches and the like, if required. While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will of course be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention. These modifications include those indicated immediately below and they are substantially as follows:

(A) Providing kits to install on existing canes, walking sticks and certain crutches.

(B) Make device actuation apparatus with gears, racks, string or wire and pulleys and the like, to make it more streamlined and compact within the main body structure rod or tube, with only necessary protrusions exposed from it, and the same apparatus outside or exposed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A combination cane and object moving device, comprising a vertical lengthened shaft having a laterally extending handle, with a non-slip grip attached, with a laterally extending bracket spaced below and paraliel with said handle, said bracket having a hand lever pivotally mounted on said bracket, said lever extending generally parallel with handle and laterally and bent generally parallel upwardly on opposite side of shaft, terminating in another pivot securing a push rod extending downward and generally parallel to main shaft, running through a hole in an aligning bracket attached to said shaft and spaced below said aforementioned lever bracket, said push rod then bending outward for clearance from shaft, thence downward, terminating short of the bottom of the shaft and said push rod having a coiled spring connected with the shaft and the push rod and pull means tending yieldingly to hold said push rod in an up position, said push rod is fitted on its lower end with a secured generally cylindrical adapter receiving a generally flat under-surface object holding piece disposed thereon, said object holding pieces general plane disposed at degrees to the axis of the push rod, and spaced below such said holding piece and above a nonskid cane tip disposed on the very lower end of said shaft, is pivotally attached to said shaft on said laterally opposite side of shaft from the handle, a substantially flat object receiving member, said member being pivotally disposed to move radially to 90 degrees from the shaft axis for pickup action readiness or radially swingably pivoting up approximately 45 degrees by pushing said object receiving member against the ground or floor, or by hand, to said approximately 45 degree angle with axis of shaft thereby effectively stopping and resting said object receiving member against the holding piece when said holding piece is in its up or normally at rest position, said object receiving member being disposed to swingably move to its 90 degree position for pickup action by downward motion of the push rod and said holding piece pushing against said object receiving member, after which action said holding piece and hand lever are allowed to return to normal up or rest position, which prepares the device for the start of a pickup action of an object on said object receiving member, conjoinedly, or not, as required with action of the holding piece through the push rod and hand lever when set up at approximately said 45 degree angle said object receiving member affords clearance between said object receiving member and the ground or floor to enable use of the device as a normal cane or walking stick, and said object receiving member is pivotably mounted by brackets securely attached thereto, said brackets having their upper ends radially formed to yieldingly contact leaf spring brackets formed with detents to receive said radially formed ends, and to hold said object receiving member yieldingly securely in its 90 degree or approximate 45 degree positions, said flat leaf springs secured by pin disposed through shaft spaced above pivot for object receiving member, said brackets are also connected by a stop bar on the opposite side of shaft from said object receiving member, effectively limiting the position of said object receiving member to maximum 90 degree from the shaft.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said object receiving member is further characterized by bevelled edges, and jogged ends to attach brackets from said object receiving member to said pivoting means.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said object receiving member is further characterized by pin disposed through shaft spaced above pivot for object having adjacent thereto a leaf spring bracket with a detent lying in a horizontal plane and attached to said object receiving member mounted bracket.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said object receiving member is further characterized by an auxiliary pick up means including a rod on one end with a hole disposed through one end thereof engagingly fitting onto aforesaid pin disposed vertically on object receiving member, and swingably thereon under the detent of aforesaid leaf spring bracket to position said auxiliary pick up means for use.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said holding piece is further characterized by a friction fitting cutout at the top of said holding piece fitting onto aforesaid push rod adaptor, so as to be resistingly stationable as it is revolved horizontally to set at a position desired and is further characterized by a tri-part cut out of its generally hemispherical outer perimeter and with a concave cutout upward into its interior and spaced below said friction holding cut out at top forming legs with bottoms having their general plane at 90 degrees to axis of push rod and being tapered inside slightly from bottom up and blending into the upper end of said undercut underneath the friction holding cutout at top, said leg bottoms set to slightly overhang the edge of the object receiving member in one position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 333,757 1/1886 Kauth 294-19 2,346,038 4/1944 Mason 294-19 3,093,402 6/1963 Sisson 294-19 3,242,513 3/1966 Janke 2942 3,264,028 8/1966 Rasmussen 29419 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

